The Show Must Go On

Question: Which team was Big Mac facing when he belted home run number 70 out of Busch Stadium? Who was the pitcher and in which inning did he hit number 70?

(You can find the answer at the end of the article.)

Nearly four decades have passed since John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. A couple of days later, while the nation was still grieving, the National Football League (NFL) decided to play on while the American Football League (AFL) decided to sit out the weekend's regularly scheduled games.

The NFL's then commissioner, Pete Rozelle, spoke to White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger who reassured the commissioner that Kennedy would have wanted the league to play on. Evidently, Salinger must have been more of a football fan than Kennedy was.

a nation mourns

1963 marked American culture forever. The events that took place recently in NYC, Washington and Pennsylvania will surely not leave our thoughts any time soon, nor should they.

As the dust was settling, professional sports leagues were scrambling to determine whether or not they should cancel or suspend play while the nation watched in shock, horror, sadness, and anger.

the right decision

Pay your respect Across the board, professional leagues began to announce that games would be cancelled. For one, out of respect and courtesy, the nation was saddened and still very much in shock. While Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa captured our imagination a few years ago in their quest to surpass Babe Ruth and Roger Maris, no chase would even pique our interest this time around after the events of 9/11.

Safety McGwire, in fact, went on record to criticize Major League Baseball for not canceling games quick enough. I agree with him, this was a no-brainer. The reason to postpone games was not just to pay respect, but because the nation was still wondering where or if the next attacks would occur as full stadiums are always a target.

Clear and Present Danger Professional teams are no stranger to danger. Away teams visit unfriendly confines at all times, face hostile fans and tough conditions, and fare with woeful road records. But after 9/11, it was not only the visiting team that was in danger; the potential for the home team, fans, journalists, and regular civilians to be harmed was too great. Thus how this work stoppage differs from other events, like the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, for example.

Priorities But after all was said and done, it came up to a matter of priority. Back in 1963, on that same day that the NFL was on the field, Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Imagine if more tragic events were to take place when pro athletes were on the field. What would the fans be thinking? Athletes' thoughts would shift immediately to their own families.